If you pass a law saying you can do this or that, it's a lot different than you pass a law saying you must do this and that.

One small word is making a big difference in the interpretation of a new law affecting Kentucky students.

Plus, how close is the Bluegrass Army Depot from finally getting rid of its chemical weapons?

When an inmate leaves, we never want to see them again.

A new program to keep Kentucky's former inmates from coming back.

I think it's really important right now because the storms seem to be getting a little more violent.

And there's a new way to keep track of important weather information in southern Kentucky.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions, the Leonard Press, Endowment for Public Affairs.

And the KET Millennium Fund.

Good evening and thanks for watching Kentucky Edition for this Thursday, June 8th.

We thank you so much for watching.

I'm Chip Polston in tonight for Renee Shaw and or the use of a single word in a controversial new law is igniting new debate.

Senate Bill 150 is a wide ranging bill that, among other things, bans schools from providing certain types of instruction.

Now, here's how part of Section two of the bill reads.

Children in grade five and below cannot be taught about human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases, or no child, regardless of grade, can be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Newly released guidance from the Kentucky Department of Education says the use of the word or means districts have a choice.

A Katy spokesperson said, quote, The Kentucky General Assembly chose to use the conjunction or not.

And when it comes to state law, words have meaning and KDE simply read the words adopted by the General Assembly.

Republican state Senator Max Wise, who sponsored S.B.

150, blasted Katy's new guidance, calling it an absurd effort to skirt state law.

In a statement, he said, quote, It is clear that the legislature meant that schools shall not have classes in human sexuality in grades five and below or study gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation at any grade level.

Now, debate over S.B.

150 sucked up most of the oxygen in Frankfurt during the 2023 session.

Multiple protests and demonstrations were held both in favor of and against the bill.

SB 150 also allows teachers to use a student's gender pronoun given at birth, even if that means ignoring the student's wishes.

And it bans medical care for transitioning youth.

That measure is currently being challenged in court by the ACLU of Kentucky.

Reporters asked Governor Andy Beshear about this new argument over the wording of Senate Bill 150.

He says the phrase letter of the law exists for a reason, and he says this is what happens when lawmakers write and pass a bill to quickly.

Well, listen, if you pass a law saying you can do this or that, it's a lot different than you pass a law saying you must do this and that.

And whether or not it was intentional or unintentional, it is the law that they passed.

And we can't read a law having different words in it than what is actually on the paper that they vote on and that they ultimately pass.

This is what happens when you get in such a rush either to attack me or a group of kids that you give 7 minutes of notice before a committee hearing.

You plop down what is virtually a brand new bill and make people vote on it without reading it.

Then you rush it to the floor and make people vote on it without reading it and then concur in another chamber without reading it.

So it is no surprise to me that there is at least one mistake in that bill.

The way our legislative process is supposed to work is the bills are posted.

There is notice of days before committee hearing on what would be there.

The public gets to read it and weigh in.

And certainly all our legislators should have the chance and the time to read a bill they are voting on.

Last thing I'd say is we have a phrase, the letter of the law for a reason.

It's what's on paper that they passed.

It's the statute that's put in the books.

And we have to follow that and not just what's in somebody' in other news.

Governor Beshear says Kentucky has more than 2 million workers for the first time ever.

He cited numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

He says Kentucky has more than 56,000 more jobs than when he became governor in 2019.

Despite the COVID pandemic.

Some Republican lawmakers are questioning how the state decided to distribute donated money to tornado victims in western Kentucky and to flood victims in eastern Kentucky.

The team western Kentucky Tornado relief Fund raised more than $50 million from over 150,000 donors months later.

A similar fund for flood victims in eastern Kentucky raised a little more than $13 million.

Both funds were established by Governor Andy Beshear.

Now, during a meeting yesterday and Frankfort, some state lawmakers said they were confused about the criteria being used to decide who ends up getting financial help.

And they wanted to know who approved each payment.

D.J.

Watson, the public protection Cabinet secretaries, chief of staff, said her department worked with several groups of local leaders to determine the parameters for various programs.

She said there were some hiccups, but that the programs are largely a success.

Some lawmakers shared stories of constituents receiving $1,000 checks from the state despite their property not suffering any damage.

Watson said the state is working with FEMA to identify those instances and to be reimbursed by the federal government.

The Kentucky General Assembly has a new face.

Greg Elkins was sworn in today to serve in the state Senate from the 28th District.

The Republican won a May 16th special election to fill the seat that opened up when Senator Ralph Alvarado resigned to become Tennessee's health commissioner.

Eric, my idea ran for governor in the May 16th primary, says he is likely to run for Congress from the fourth congressional District in northern Kentucky.

WUKY in Lexington reports that leaders could challenge the district's Republican incumbent, Thomas Massie.

Dieter says he disagrees with Massie's endorsement of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president.

Peters said he was MP he would emphasize his own support for former President Donald Trump, and he would seek Trump's endorsement in the race.

Congressman James Colmer of Kentucky is calling off a vote in the House Oversight Committee on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress.

Comber is the committee chair.

Now, on Wednesday, the committee released a resolution criticizing Wray for not complying with the committee subpoena related to the release of a document concerning accusations about then-Vice President Joe Biden.

But Comar says the FBI has now offered the committee access to a key document in the case.

After that move, Comar says the committee won't vote on holding Wray in contempt.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell today was critical of Congress for its delay in passing a farm bill for the year.

He told senators the lack of action is hurting farmers in his home state.

It's more difficult than ever to be a farmer in Kentucky.

WASHINGTON Democrats Runaway inflation has bogged down small family farms, with production costs on the rise.

Department of Agriculture projects.

But net farm income will decline by listen to this 20% and 23.

Naturally, farm families are looking to Congress to deliver much needed help and stability.

In Kentucky, farmers are stalling investments, taking on unforeseen risk as they wait for Washington to make up its mind.

Farmers in Kentucky and across the country deserve certainty from Congress so they can plan for their future.

Senator McConnell says many current farm bill provisions will expire in less than four months.

He says it will take bipartisan effort to get a new farm bill passed.

In Frankfurt, two failed bills from the 2023 regular legislative session got a second look today by the interim Judiciary Committee.

The first was House Bill 388, which would have allowed drug dealers to be charged with murder if the substances they sold resulted in a death.

I can never bring a child back.

I can never bring a father back.

I can never bring a mother back.

But you know, what we can do is we can try our best to change the way we do business to where we can be more effective in the way we handle these drug dealers.

We're not interested in that user.

We're interested in that dealer, the one that's putting the poison out on the street, the one that's killing our family members.

And so this is another tool that will help law enforcement to get these people out of our communities and make it safer for our children, our neighbors and our communities.

Although drug overdose deaths remain high in Kentucky, the state did see a 5% decline in 2020 to the difference of over 100 lives.

Legislators also heard from supporters of House Bill 571, which would have established a compensation system for people who are wrongly convicted and then exonerated.

This is not only good for the exonerees who is actually innocent.

It is also good for the state because it's important that we model the right type of behavior.

And when the state makes a mistake, even unintentionally so, it is right.

It is just that we put these that we that we pay for in some way the consequences of our unintentional actions.

In some cases.

This is not a bill that should have any opposition.

And if you disagree with that, I ask you to go back to your districts and ask any member of your district if they were jailed for one day wrongfully, should they be compensated.

And then I ask you all to take those responses, come back, fully support this bill, sign on as a co-sponsor and let's get it passed.

Kentucky is one of only 12 states without a compensation law for exonerees.

Sponsors of both bills made it clear they plan to refile these measures and the 2024 regular legislative session.

Chemical weapons at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond could be a thing of the past and just a matter of weeks.

The Defense Department says the depot is on the verge of finishing its work, destroying 51,000 rockets that can contain a nerve agent known as sarin.

A 1997 treaty required the U.S. to destroy the rockets.

The disposal work began in 2019.

A similar project is underway at an army facility in Colorado that's expected to wrap up soon.

More Kentucky inmates will be leaving prison with a college degree.

Simmons College of Kentucky is currently offering higher education courses to 150 inmates at two state prisons.

This week, it was announced that starting this fall, the historically black college will begin offering courses to inmates at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women through the federal Second Chance Pell Grant program.

It may sound harsh, but when an inmate leaves, we never want to see them again.

We want them to go out into their communities and continue their education, get a meaningful job, be mothers to their children.

Everyone here today, everyone housed in this facility deserves a good education.

And the best way to help ensure our folks can achieve a full life in our communities is by equipping them with that good education.

Simmons College applied to take part in this experiment, and we ought to thank them for stepping up and finding this extra opportunity, because what we are doing is providing more opportunity, more education, more job placement.

At no cost to Kentucky taxpayers, That means we are preventing future crimes at no cost to Kentucky taxpayers.

It's been worth living out our faith of providing those second chances at no cost to Kentucky taxpayers.

Talk about an amazing program.

We provide all of the educational services.

We provide the coursework, the instructors, the learning content.

Students will work towards earning bachelor's degrees as well as associate's degrees.

And so we provide tutoring services.

We provide all of the wraparound services.

In addition to the classroom instruction.

The students will be immersed into a typical collegiate environment.

And so the same course content, the same primary and secondary sources that we use.

At the collegiate level, we will provide those same services here at the institution.

Of course, English, math sciences, business courses, sociology.

All of the arts in terms of humanistic studies.

And so we will provide all of that same coursework in the same format.

Simmons is giving them the college education they need to learn, grow and make better choices.

They can build a solid foundation, a foundation that provides them for their family themselves and make a positive difference.

We had an orientation.

It was went super well.

Students were really excited for the opportunity.

Some have been here for greater than ten years and so just waiting for an opportunity to earn an education.

And so now it's here.

So that moment and is becoming real, Governor Beshear said.

Upon earning their degree, the students will be eligible for jobs that will earn them anywhere between 40 and $80,000 a year.

Future Healers is a medical mentoring program that helps young people affected by violence.

The program started in Louisville, and it's proving so successful.

It's about to cross state lines.

Our Renee Shaw sat down with the program's founder, Christopher to.

It's a pleasure to connect with you.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Renee.

It's great to be back with you, especially as it relates to the subject matter of kids.

Well, let's talk about that, because we've had you on other programs talking about your Future Healers program.

I want you first to tell us what that is.

That has been long established in Louisville.

And then we'll talk about the expansion into Tennessee.

Right.

So the future healers evolved in July of 2021.

Renee.

It is a medical platform program.

The best way I can describe it connected to kids, unfortunately, who've been subjected to violent crime in their neighborhood, whether that be first or secondary trauma situations.

And equally at the same time, the kids that are in this platform are ages born at 13 years of age, and they collaborate again through our organization to address game changers in connection with our partnership with University of Louisville Health.

And that combines the Department of surgery.

You, our J. David de David J. David Richardson Trauma Center, and equally the University School of Medicine.

And so these are, as you said, kids who have been subjected to first or second degree trauma.

I know some of the kids you've worked with, they've lost a parent or guardian to gun violence and you're trying to show these kids one, not just a better path, but how they can be healers.

And I want you to make that connection for us.

Yes.

So a lot of them, Renee, either to news reports or to talk in their neighborhoods are, again, been the recipient of the unfortunate births to second hand trauma issues due to violence, shootings around them, hearing gunshots around them, trying to send your way into a mindset of being in a safe space.

These kids are constantly aware of what's going on in a negative way in their surroundings.

What we have hoped to do with this program coming into two years now this July of 2023, is to let them know that they can be a very powerful presence for their peer group in regards to when they heard about hear about, excuse me, expert in their neighborhood due to gun violence.

They can be the presence of healing by collaborating with those first responders, medical wise, who try to treat and try to at least put out some advocacy information in regards to this unfortunate situation.

But the kids become those advocates for the young ones.

It's, I guess what if I've got a family member who's involved in this activity, if I've got somebody that's been hurt in that friendship connection or the family connection, I can love them in abundance.

But equally at the same time, I don't have to follow anybody that's a part of this destructive behavior.

And we try to teach that kid there.

And the STEM connection here is to be around these medical professionals, both surgeons and medical students who create the curriculum for future elders and let them know that you all have some great mentorship around you.

Let's take advantage of it.

So talk to us about how you were able to go interstate with this and get Vanderbilt University to sign on to incorporate this part of their program.

One of our federal partners who were in Nashville, that was in the early part of being a part of observing the future of this program here in metro Louisville, went to Nashville.

He told that staff in Nashville and equally the community partner stronger than my father about us and this wonderful program for 4 to 13 year old kids who suffer from the same kind of trauma issues in Nashville.

And wouldn't it be great or you are at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a School of Medicine and stronger than my father.

So look at this model to see if it's something that you all would like to engage this partnership in metro Louisville, about to bring it to Nashville to make an impact with those kiddos there also.

But we're here to make a stance from the outset that, yes, we're surrounded about around this kind of trauma, but we're not defined by an APD thing.

We want to let our peer group know.

We want our safe and healthy kids grown up to understand that they can be a part of something that is great for them.

They might not stay in the medical sciences, right?

That's fine.

But this is another tool on their progress to grow that can help them in a very healthy way.

More than 100 students have taken part in the program in Louisville since it began.

The late Cumberland region is now home to a new weather monitoring station.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to Russell County, where the Kentucky maisonette cut the ribbon this week on its latest site.

Woodland Farms in Russell County produces about 30,000 bales of hay a year for horses and 1000 rolls for cattle hay.

The trick really is to bale at the right moisture.

If the hay is too moist, it it'll mold.

And if it's too dry, all the nutritious leaves will fall off the alfalfa plant.

Adams must pay close attention to the weather to make a sound decisions for his crop.

It's always better to have real data than to have a forecast or a prediction.

We're in a gap or in an area where there's a gap in this county.

Woodland Farms decided to do something about that gap, providing the latest site for the Kentucky Maisonette at WQ J three cut.

We're really excited to have our 78th system here in Russell County, and it's important for WQ, it's important for Russell County and the community and most importantly, it's important for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Kentucky Maisonette is the official source of weather and climate data for the state number one is the anemometer, the wind, the wind gust.

We use that for warnings.

Protection of life and property helps us get ground truth.

They have to hold them.

Adams says it provides the real time data he needs to produce quality hay.

We're constantly looking at the temperature, the solar radiation because that promotes drying and the relative humidity.

He thinks it will also prove beneficial for grain farmers.

Russell County is home to Lake Cumberland.

A major tourism draw outside the heart of the lake is here because the dam is here that holds all the water.

So we get a lot of tourism.

And it's very important for them to know what the weather is going to be as far as how they plan their vacations, what they plan on doing the data that this station will collect would be important in terms of real time analysis.

So when there are severe weather coming through, we'll have up to date readings not just from here, but from across the Commonwealth Basin associations.

Help improve local forecast and severe weather warnings.

They also provide insight for emergency managers during severe weather or natural disasters.

We've had some big disasters with the eastern Kentucky floods.

We had the big tornadoes on December 21.

We had some giant hailstorms.

We've had some ice storms.

People are more weather aware because we've had a lot of weather.

It does seem like the storms are getting more violent.

So having actual numbers of what's occurring on the ground I think is really important.

The goal is to one day have a maisonette station and all 120 Kentucky counties.

For Kentucky Edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

You can access maisonette weather information through a free app.

Just select the county you want to monitor.

It's also on the website k y maisonette dot org.

Father's Day may not make you think about prostate cancer, but at least one group in Louisville is hoping it does.

Our Kelcey Starks explains.

If you are a man over 45, you should be getting screened for prostate cancer this Saturday in Louisville.

Free screenings are available.

Deputy mayor and former Metro Council president David James is here to talk a little bit more about it.

And this is a subject that's very personal to you.

Tell us why.

Well, you know, a couple of years ago, I was having some prostate issues.

My PSA numbers were escalating.

So I finally went to the doctor and they were like, you know, you've got some some prostate issues, not cancer, but your grandfather had prostate cancer.

Your father had prostate cancer.

We should deal with this now.

So I was able to have some surgery and and everything's all better now.

And so I just really recommend that men over the age of 45 get checked out and get the PSA test.

And it's painless.

It's a blood test, It's free.

So why not do it?

That's right.

And so people hear that prostate cancer and they're not necessarily thinking it will be a pleasant experience, but it really is.

It really is.

It is.

It's just a little stick of a needle and it's a blood test and it is extremely quick and it takes very little time.

And I just really want to thank the Kentucky African Americans Against Cancer and the U.

Of L Lab for really working hard to put this together with the Republic Bank, YMCA to make this happen this Saturday.

And let's talk about that, because it is especially important for African Americans that they are at an increased risk for developing and even dying of prostate cancer.

Absolutely.

The stats are one in six black men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime.

Why do you think it's important to kind of combine it with Father's Day and talk about it right now?

You know, Father's Day is a big family time.

It's a good time to be concerned about your family.

Right.

Because if you're going to get prostate cancer or die from prostate cancer, because you didn't have the courage to go get tested, I didn't want to take the time to get tested.

What does that do to your family?

So it's a great time to think about that if you do it annually once a year.

It's very simple.

And so it's just something to do to help, to be able to take care of yourself and your family.

Well, that.

Thank you so much.

We appreciate it.

The free Father's Day, prostate cancer screening happens this Saturday, June 10th.

It's from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Republic Bank YMCA on West Broadway in Louisville.

You can schedule an appointment in advance or walk ins are also.

Welcome back to you.

The event is made possible by the Harriet B Porter Education and Research Endowment in Partnership with the Brown Cancer Center and the University of Louisville.

Hey, all you pinball wizards.

Did you know Kentucky is home to a pinball museum?

It's in Corbin and it's about to move and expand.

You'll find out all about it tomorrow on Kentucky Edition.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 630 Eastern.

530 Central for Kentucky Edition, where we inform, Connect and Inspire.

Subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips.

at KET.org You can also find Kentucky edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

Send us a story idea.

You can reach us at Public Affairs at KET.org and follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks so much for watching.

You take good care.